The Colors We See

There are many color “blindness” variations. Below are three of the most prevalent.

“Normal” Monochromacy and Achromatopsia

Monochromacy is the most severe form of color blindness, where an individual has a complete inability to see color. They see everything in shades of gray. Achromatopsia, also known as total color blindness, is a rare inherited condition where an individual has a complete absence of color vision. They are unable to see any hue or saturation in color and see everything in shades of gray or black and white.

Deutan Color Blindness (“do-tan”)

is a type of red-green color blindness caused by a genetic mutation that affects the function of the medium- wavelength sensitive cone cells in the retina. Individuals with deutan color blindness have difficulty distinguishing between red and green hues, often confusing them and perceiving them as the same color or a similar shade of yellow. Deutan color blindness is relatively common, affecting approximately 2% of the male population and 0.5% of the female population.

Tritan Color Blindness (“try-tan”)

is a rare type of color blindness caused by a genetic mutation that affects the function of the short-wavelength sensitive cone cells in the retina. This type of color blindness affects the perception of blue and yellow hues, causing individuals to confuse these colors and perceive them as green or gray. Tritan color blindness is considered a very rare form of color blindness, affecting only a small percentage of the population.